Horse is already out of the barn.jpg

@infini It's almost certainly true in the place where this vehicle is licensed. But more to the point: it is definitely true in the places in the US where people are blathering that letting gay people get married is "bad" because it "redefines" marriage.

Incidentally, I took the quiz, and if I could be bought with 3 goats and a cow, that cow would have to be made of solid gold or something :)

and now, the weather

cirlce of lifef

The voice in your head

I have such mixed feelings about this kind of image. It depends so heavily on what "this" is.

The voice in your head that says nothing matters and there's no point — that voice is definitely a liar. Tell it to shut the hell up — you have places to go and things to do.

The voice in your head that says "this is hurting me, I want to stop," that voice could be anything from "no, seriously, I have or am courting an injury — stop and take care of me" to "I am afraid or worried or frustrated."

The voice in your head that says "You can't become an NBA star" is, statistically, correct — only a small number of people can.

There is lots to learn when you're not exactly where you want to be. Part of it is what you want most. Part of it is how to acquire the knowledge and the plan to get there. Part of it is the resilience and problem-solving skills to overcome setbacks. And if true obstacles present themselves, an important part of it is being willing to revise the plan and go someplace just as interesting rather than canceling the trip.

Where exercise is concerned, the only negative voice I have in my head isn't telling me that it hurts, but only that I don't need/want to be fit. When I suppress that voice and listen to the ones that tell me the opposite, I work out. Same with eating horribly.

Nobody can beat you

59. Would you like a new beauty standard to chase?

Squat booty is the new thigh gap, and both are distractions from the strength and conditioning that make people happier and healthier.

Plus, the women depicted in photos like this almost never participate in any substantive lifting routines — a person this size could have almost any exercise routine, or none at all. Everything you see here could result from pleasant genetics and a balanced diet (and maybe it being laundry day).

@Davezilla I don't mean plain vanilla photo correction (in which I'd include stuff like erasing transient features like mottling or acne) — I really mean alteration (as in: making the image something that does not actually resemble the model). I would hazard a guess that this photo is an accurate representation of that model, and if it's not, there's definitely women out there (not just professional models) who happen to look like this.

For what it's worth, I think what see "see on her thighs" is image artifacts :)

The single biggest problem with how fitness is marketed and perceived

This is a common vision of what 'success' looks like in the fitness world — not just that success is measured aesthetically but that the goal of fitness is to have a body you then display. Note that Lady Liberty has dropped everything she ... stands for. Fitness is being a hottie so you don't have to care about providing a beacon for those who need relief from oppression and wish to live under the rule of law.

The actual measures of success at fitness are hard to show in a photo, even a before and after. They are better mood, more consistent energy during the day, more restful sleep, a more smoothly working body, and greater capacity to get around and participate in your environment. Disrobing not required.